LATHROP –The Lathrop city employee who resigned so an older co-worker does not get laid off, and the recipient of that selfless act will be featured on the television news magazine, Inside Edition.

Sharon Singleton, 63, who would have been one of those let go earlier this week as part of the city’s ongoing effort to eliminate the remaining $1.5 million budget deficit this fiscal year, confirmed Thursday that she and Patricia Overy who sacrificed her job for her co-worker, will be interviewed for a segment of the nationally televised program.

However, she would not divulge when and where the interview will take place.

“Patty and I are going somewhere,” was about all she would say. She also did not know when the program will be aired.

“I’m not looking forward to it, actually,” said Singleton who, like Overy, has been working for the City of Lathrop for about six years.

Since the story of Overy’s selfless act ran in the Manteca Bulletin on Tuesday, the two as well as Lathrop City Hall and other employees, have been inundated with calls from “all over, everywhere,” Singleton said.

“CNN, we’ve heard from ABC news – all the news stations. It’s crazy,” she said of the attention that has been focused on the story.

Overy made her announcement during the City Council meeting on Monday when the council members voted to eliminate 11 more positions to balance the budget. Singleton was not present at the meeting. However, she said she had been told days before by “my boss,” Finance director Terri Vigna, that she will not be getting the pink slip after all due to Overy’s generous gesture.

“I went out and talked to Patty and told her, thank you. I was totally surprised,” Singleton said about her reaction when told about what Overy has done for her.

Days before that, she had been told by her “superiors” that she was going to be laid off. Both Singleton and Overy described themselves as simply co-workers and “acquaintances.”

Singleton also admitted that had she gotten the ax, she would have, “just like everybody else, find a job or retire. I’m close (to retiring). I could (retire). I’m 63,” she said.

Prior to working for the city of Lathrop, Singleton said she worked in the private sector.

Overy, who has worked for the city for seven years as an accounting technician, said she decided to step down because she “felt she could cope with the loss of a job better than” Singleton.

Overy is the mother of four young children ages 14, 7 and four – the youngest are twins. Her husband works for the City of Tracy. She said she plans to spend some time with her children for a while and then start looking for another job.